A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) has developed a technique of boosting the performance of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs).
The advanced technique can precisely estimate the state of charge (SOC), one of the most important internal aspects of a battery, the team from the institute’s Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering said.
The research by Professor Somanath Majhi, Associate Professor Sisir Kumar Nayak and research scholar Gautam Sethia was published in IEEE Transactions on Circuit and System I: Regular Papers, a scientific journal.
The SOC indicates the remaining charge that can be withdrawn from a battery before it gets fully discharged. “The knowledge of remaining capacity helps optimise a battery’s capacity utilisation, prevent its overcharging and undercharging, increase its lifespan, reduce cost, and ensure the safety of the battery and its surroundings,” Prof. Majhi said.
Lithium-ion batteries are preferred in cellphones and laptops for their low carbon emission, high energy density, low self-discharge rate, and low maintenance cost. They are also being widely used in EVs, integrated smart grids and microgrids of renewable energy sources.
“The EVs are becoming the most suitable alternatives to the conventional fossil fuel-based vehicles. The battery acts as the prime energy source of electric vehicles. The precise estimation of SOC that cannot be directly measured by any sensor plays a vital role for their efficient operation,” Prof. Majhi said.
